Fantasy Analysis

College fantasy football preview: Big 10

By George Kritikos &bullet;
Jun 16, 2017

Penn State running back Saquon Barkley (26) rushes for a touchdown during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Illinois in State College, Pa., Saturday, Oct. 31, 2015. Penn State won 39-0. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

The 2017 college football season is approaching and it is hard to keep track of every player on every team. That’s what we at Pro Football Focus do for you. Not only do we monitor every play and every player, but we highlight the ones you should have on your radar. This series is designed to focus on such players from each team across the college landscape for both devy players and those who participate in college football fantasy leagues.

We continue the series with the Big 10. Check out last week’s look at the SEC.

Big 10 East

Indiana

Devy: Simmie Cobbs, WR – Cobbs missed last year with a foot injury. That said, the size (6’-foot-4, 220 pounds) is still there and he uses it. Cobbs forced 16 missed tackles in 2015, tied for 15th in the nation. He’s a good athlete and just needs more consistency to prove himself.

Fantasy: Nick Westbrook, WR – The Hoosiers rarely have a pair of good wide receivers but here we are. Westbrook’s 3.05 yards per route run was tied with John Ross last year. The 6-3 wideout is an outside option who can go deep (30 targets of 20-plus yards) and isn’t eligible until 2018, so he has time to mature.

Maryland

Devy: Anthony McFarland, RB – The incoming freshman is seen more as a speed back than one with power, likely due to the small stature (5-8, 203). He has the well-rounded skill set to be a productive three down player, but don’t expect that right away.

Fantasy: Ty Johnson, RB – The incumbent running back only led college in yards after contact per attempt (5.3). He also had 68.7 percent of his yards come on runs of 15-plus yards, also first in the nation. Johnson may not end up a high-level NFL player, but he should be in for another explosive season.